Italian-American and indigenous groups show solidarity ahead of Columbus Day

With Columbus Day just days away, an Italian-American group and a Native American organization gathered at Daley Plaza to celebrate their respective histories.

Members of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, which hosts the annual Columbus Day parade, stood along with the Native American Guardians Association Friday morning to defend each other, dance together and watch the annual Italian flag raising ceremony .

The event came as Christopher Columbus' status as a cultural figurehead has come under fire in recent years for land grabbing and genocide against indigenous peoples of his time. Supporters say he embodies a crucial part of Italian-American culture.

Chicago removed two Columbus statues in 2020, one in Arrigo Park and another in Grant Park, after activists attempted to forcibly remove them amid racial clashes following the killing of George Floyd. The removals were intended to be temporary, but the statues were not returned.

Joint Civic Committee President Ron Onesti told the Sun-Times before Friday's event that after intensive court-ordered settlement discussions with city and Park District officials, he expects there will be an announcement on a settlement in the next few weeks Statues could provide a solution. Onesti does not provide any further information about the content of the announcement.

The mayor's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment or details of a pending announcement.

At the start of the event, Onesti acknowledged the heated rhetoric surrounding Columbus Day weekend and urged people to move forward and follow the example set by the Italian and Native American associations Friday at Daley Plaza.

“It’s time for us to come together and it’s time for us to listen to each other,” he said. “We must learn from history, and when we respectfully engage with members of the Native American community, we learn their true concerns.”

Anthony Vazquez/Sun Times

Onesti said the dialogue allowed both participating Italians and Native Americans to learn about and respect each other's traditions – and that includes Columbus Day.

Other participants included Italian Consul General for Chicago Mario Alberto Bartoli, Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs and Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas. All praised the open dialogue between Italian American and indigenous organizations.

Frank Blackcloud, vice president of the Guardians Association, said after the event that his organization and the Italian-American community are bound by their shared goal of preserving history.

“They want to keep their culture alive,” the Spirit Lake Tribe member said. “You can’t erase history. You have to remember the history and where everyone came from.”

Anthony Vazquez/Sun Times

The Guardians Association does this by promoting Indigenous images in popular culture, such as sports teams, which have also faced criticism in recent years. The group sued the Washington Commanders last year to try to change the team's name back to the Redskins. Blackcloud made a direct connection between his organization's fight to defend these images, which he said promotes their culture and visibility, and the Italian-American fight to defend Columbus iconography.

However, other indigenous advocacy groups are more skeptical of the Guardians Association's position. Dorene Wiese, president of the American Indian Association of Illinois, said criticism of the Columbus celebrations is not an attack on Italian-American heritage.

“This is not about us trying to discredit the Italian people, this is about this one person being responsible for bringing a lot of death and terror to thousands of people around the world,” said Wiese, a White Earth member Ojibwe band. “We’re trying to educate people about the real story.”

But Blackcloud also believes he is telling the “true story” when he says Columbus was unfairly maligned.

Blackcloud and other indigenous people will march in the Columbus Day parade on Monday. Onesti believes that even if other groups are still opposed to celebrating Columbus, people are ready to stop debating and listen.

“I think everyone is really done fighting,” he said. “Now is the time to show unity, care and communication. We want to come together.”